Rosemere Lodge

WHENCE COME WE ?

Part Two

By Wor. Bro. Rudoph (Rudy) Kremser

In the middle ages any skilled craft was called a "Mystery". The meaning of mystery, in this connection, was not based on the Greek word "Myo", relating to a" secret not to be revealed". It is a corruption of a different word, i.e., The French "Metier" - A trade or occupation.

The operative Masons organized their Guild relatively late and only in 1376 had they won recognition as one of the Forty-seven "mysteries" in London.

Due to the very nature of the builder's trade Masons had to congregate outside the major centres to build castles churches and fortifications in insolated Achaeans sometimes for years on end. in time the name "Lodge" came to be applied to such a group of masons, probably from the lodge or hut in which the craftsmen worked, kept their tools and rested. "Lodges" of Masons are mentioned at;

York Minster in 1352.
Canterbury Cathedral in 1429.
The Church Of St. Nicholas, Aberdeen in 1483. And
St. Giles, Edinburgh, in 1491.

When in due time the work was completed, the lodge would be disbanded and the craftsmen looked for work in a new location. It is thus simple to understand how they would have modes of recognition to attest their status when joining a new lodge. From these temporary lodges are derived the manuscript constitutions or old charges. Not surprisingly they contained among other things the rules of the craft, mora1 regulations, religious duties and instructions in good manners.

The old charges further give a history of the craft drawn largely from the V.O.S.L. The only book ever seen by most people of the period.

In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the structure of a lodge emerges in terms easy to be understood by us. The architect was known as the Master Mason or Master of The Works. Who designed the edifice on his "Tracing Board" or drafting table. The bulk of the workmen, who had given "proof" of their skill were the "Fellows of the Craft" and a few apprentices learned the trade under the supervision of the "Fellows".

Scotland by 1598 introduced a new stage, A fellow who had completed his apprenticeship was to serve a further two to seven year term as an "Entered Apprentice". Men who build dikes or walls and were not admitted to the lodge became know as "Dry-Dikers" or "Cowans", which is defined as" a Mason without the word". (Cowan - a builder of stone without a mortar.)

Thus, as we can see, mediaeval Masons' organizations exercised a strict trade control. Mainly to protect the Brethren.

Source; A.S. Frere, B.E. Jones, D.Knoop, A. Mellor.
Beyond The Pillard, A.G. Mackey

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